Danny Tong is a businessman with a deep desire to ensure that his legacy involves the success of others, with InvesTong Group laying the foundation for a bright future in South Africa and beyond.
During his upbringing in a rural village in Taung, Molelema; Danny Tong had a typical childhood experience. His parents were engaged in various informal businesses, ranging from a hair salon to retail shops and a poultry farm. Starting from the age of 10, Tong frequently accompanied his father as he sold products in different villages. This exposure ignited and honed his interest and abilities in sales.
Later, Tong joined City Year South Africa, a non-governmental organization focused on leadership development. Through this organization, Tong was presented with numerous opportunities, one of which was a trip to the United States. This experience proved to be a pivotal moment in his life, as it solidified his passion for sales, cemented his vision, and enhanced his confidence through interactions with key leaders in the USA, including former President Bill Clinton.
From a young age, Tong has aspired to become a businessman just like his dad, even though his initial understanding of the concept was vague and limited. He had no interest in pursuing any other path and knew that sales were essential for his survival. Consequently, Tong made the conscious decision early on to centre his life around the art of selling.
To this day, selling remains his default mindset and has come full circle in his current position of Chairman of the InvesTong Group.
Upon graduating from the City Year South Africa programme in 2005, Tong returned to the organization and obtained permission to utilise its resources in launching his first significant venture, a clothing label called, Peo Clothing. The brand achieved respectable profits and even held potential for placement in major retailers such as Edcon. However, due to disagreements with his business partners, Tong ultimately sold his stake in the company, which unfortunately held little monetary value. This marked a low point for him, as he faced financial obligations without consistent income.
In the process of developing the business and funding model for small to medium-sized companies as his second venture, Tong discovered the challenges of finding the right start-up to collaborate with. It became apparent that while entrepreneurs and small business owners possess strong sales skills and can present themselves convincingly, not all of them have the genuine drive they claim to possess. Additionally, a significant number of start-ups are driven by short-term goals and overly optimistic expectations of immediate success.
As a result, Tong noticed a lack of innovation among entrepreneurs. Having emerged from the start-up environment himself, Tong became well-versed in the practical and strategic aspects of overcoming challenges faced by entrepreneurial businesses. This knowledge allowed him to develop and implement effective growth strategies for expansion and securing capital, whether for diversification purposes or acquisitions.
After a few unsuccessful attempts at numerous ventures, Tong established a recruitment company that became successful and collected prestigious accolades, including the FNB Business of the Year Award in 2012. This prosperity led to other opportunities like the establishment of a shoe factory in the Free State, an events company, and numerous other businesses, although not all of them thrived. As a result, Tong consolidated all the successful ventures under the umbrella of InvesTong Group, which was officially founded and launched in 2014.
Although his entrepreneurial journey started long before the inception of InvesTong Group, Tong officially launched the InvesTong brand in 2006. Over the course of more than 18 years, Tong has experienced over 14 failed businesses. However, these failures have been instrumental in shaping and evolving the company into its present form. Tong continues to learn and grow from these experiences. Tong has strong Faith rooted in Christ that he maintains throughout and indicates that only God’s favour made his journey possible.
“I have transitioned from being a street vendor and hustler to a business owner, a lifestyle entrepreneur, and now a chairman of a formidable infrastructure investment holding company, all while maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. This transformation required self-reflection, personal development, a proactive approach to self-transformation, and perseverance,” Tong shares of his journey.
One of Tong’s proudest accomplishments was embarking on and completing an MBA programme with a prestigious institution dubbed the ‘Harvard of Africa’ by CNN, the African Leadership University School of Business (ALUsb). Spending extended periods in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, alongside corporate and business leaders from across the continent, Tong was afforded the chance to learn, network, and immerse himself in their presence and knowledge. This endeavour was a turning point for both his personal and business growth. Since completing his MBA in 2020, Tong has undergone significant changes, transformation, and personal growth and is currently in pursuit of a PhD to further challenge and expand his knowledge base.
“Reflecting on the past 20 years, my journey has been characterised by survival, building a foundation phase, acquiring skills and experience, making mistakes, and learning from them. Now, I feel that the time has come to build, innovate, and leapfrog InvesTong Group into a multi-billion dollar continental investment holding company, aligning with our three-year JSE listable plan,” he continues.
Milestones to be proud of
The InvesTong Group has interests in a number of sectors, including Construction, Property Development, Facilities Management, Consulting Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Retail.
A major inspiration for the creation and sustained success of the Group has been Tong’s desire to give back to those who need it most, which in turn creates opportunities for economic growth within areas which are often neglected.
“Building a road from gravel to tar in my village is a project I’m most proud of; followed by opening a franchise hardware store in the same village, which created employment and improved the living conditions of my people,” Tong says with pride.
“I have always wanted to develop and empower my community and I believe road infrastructure activates trade which then stimulates the economy, thus creating employment and alleviating poverty and dignifies our people, which remains our ultimate goal.”
Tong in his first round of funding managed to secure a R20 million investment by leveraging from the Group’s balance sheet for scaling; and this is reflected in the current secured order book of R1 billion”.
While success has been achieved and milestones reached, the hard work does not stop here for Tong, with a number of new sectors on his radar as the evolution of the Group continues. Next on the milestone agenda is securing interest in the Mining, Farming, Energy, Insurance, Information Technology, and Education sectors.
“Our strategic approach to growth is centred around driving the advancement of innovation and scalability. While our foundation in South Africa is gradually strengthening, we are actively exploring opportunities in other African countries, with a current focus on the SADC Region, Kenya, and Rwanda. At InvesTong Group, our aim is to approach these markets in a distinct and innovative manner,” Tong explains.
“To effectively navigate these markets, we prioritise thorough due diligence, extensive research, and a comprehensive understanding of their unique needs and challenges. By doing so, we believe we can offer solutions that address the infrastructure-related issues these countries face.
“Furthermore, we have identified that the listed countries are receptive to foreign investments, resulting in manageable risk exposure for our operations. Additionally, we are pursuing a retail expansion strategy that involves acquiring a multitude of franchises. This strategic move aims to benefit the overall growth and prominence of the InvesTong Group brand.”
Tong’s strategy encompasses achieving listability on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) by the end of 2026, as this will serve various objectives for the Group.
Primarily, Tong believes that it will serve as a platform to promote the business to prospective investors. Additionally, this listing will attract local analysts’ attention and media interest, thereby enhancing the company’s reputation, brand, and visibility to a global audience and potential stakeholders.
“In a decade, I envision being listed on stock exchanges within the continent and globally, trading shares in dollar terms as a renowned global brand with shares spanning various sectors of interest on a global scale,” he adds.
The transformation conversation
In recent years, the InvesTong Group has placed significant emphasis on promoting women empowerment within all facets of the business.
As a result, a remarkable 62.5% of their senior decision-making positions are occupied by talented females.
This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy when compared to national government departments, where the majority had less than 40% female representation in senior roles, with some provincial departments facing challenges in meeting the minimum employment equity requirement.
“In order to enhance opportunities for women within these predominantly male-dominated industries, it becomes imperative for a society to better the lives of its citizens, eradicate poverty, and foster growth and prosperity. This can be achieved through the implementation of an inclusive and up-to-date educational system that reflects the prevailing circumstances and imparts knowledge of business principles and acumen,” Tong avers.
While Tong believes that the South African government is deeply committed to facilitating inclusive economic transformation through fair, transparent, and predictable means, as a nation we continue to face critical challenges in truly transforming our country.
According to Tong, these challenges include the lack of economic transformation, ongoing economic exclusion, imbalanced ownership patterns, and slow land redistribution, to name a few.
“Nevertheless, these challenges present an opportunity for South African entrepreneurs to collaborate with government in order to improve the current state of affairs,” Tong avers.
“Working alongside my sisters and other women, I have recognized the importance of fostering an inclusive economy and driving economic transformation by creating roles and programmes that not only benefit our companies, but also have a positive impact on society as a whole.
“We need more female representation in boards and strategic executive positions. We must become a driving force in our nation by nurturing entrepreneurship from an early age.”
Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in innovation and the development of a self-sustaining domestic economy. It is the young business leaders who will create African solutions to African challenges, generating employment opportunities, enabling social mobility, and contributing to the growth of the regional economy.
Therefore, an educated, equipped, and empowered young workforce, whether women or men, will significantly contribute to economic growth.
Tong in his first round of funding managed to secure a R20 million investment by leveraging from the Group’s balance sheet for scaling; and this is reflected in the current secured order book of R1 billion”.
“Personally, I have never worked for anyone else; the concept of being employed has never been part of my vocabulary. My aspiration has always been to create jobs rather than seek employment, which is the same culture and passion we need to inculcate within the youth to create a culture of wanting to create employment rather than seeking it,” Tong says.
“While formal education may not have been the catalyst for starting my business, I have certainly leveraged education to nurture and sustain the company’s growth to its current state.
“Empowering and employing youth will take precedence on our agenda. The youth is eager for change. With 30 years of democracy behind us, it is time to see tangible results.
“Budget allocations focused on infrastructure improvements and the betterment of our communities, as part of the campaign for the upcoming elections, are warmly welcomed as they will stimulate the economy and bring positive impact regardless of the timing.”
A chance to give back
The InvesTong Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the InvesTong Group. The Foundation focuses on making a positive impact in various areas and dignifying members of the community, including recognizing civil servants and leaders who are committed to their work for the betterment of society. The Foundation supports educational initiatives by providing scholarships, funding school infrastructure projects, and promoting skills development programmes.
This, for Tong, is a very important aspect of what the InvesTong Group is all about, with his desire to create a better South Africa not just rooted in his day-to-day operations but on another level; thanks to the Foundation.
“The InvesTong Foundation actively engages in community development projects, such as building community centres, sports facilities, and promoting environmental sustainability. Overall, the foundation aims to uplift and empower communities by investing in their education and overall well-being,” he explains.
“Additionally, driving a socio-economic narrative in educating and supporting young entrepreneurs and funding them to increase their rate of success in the early stages is a priority for the Foundation.”
Another big part of giving back for Tong is nurturing and guiding the youth of South Africa, especially those who are looking to follow in his footsteps. One of the ways that Tong achieves this goal is through sitting on the board of City Year South Africa which is an organization that seeks to build South Africa’s young leaders through service as the same organization contributed to his developmental phase within his early start-up years. When asked about what advice he would give to the youth of today, his answer was not only poignant, but deeply entrenched in an attitude of survival and never giving up. “Allow me to reaffirm that my journey has not always been confined to boardrooms, suits, and ties. I have risen from humble beginnings as a traffic light newspaper vendor and a ‘blompot’ trader, facing the challenges of homelessness. Through resilience and determination, I have successfully established an investment company with diverse interests in various economic sectors. This serves as a powerful reminder that navigating through failures is essential for achieving success in life,” Tong insists.
“The key distinguishing factor between myself and other entrepreneurs is my refusal to quit. Over the past 20 years, I have encountered numerous justified opportunities to give up, yet I have steadfastly chosen to persevere. This unwavering commitment to staying the course has been instrumental in my journey.
“My simple advice would be to stay the course and never throw in the towel if you are convinced that what you are doing is purposefully aligned to your existence.”
Reflection and the future
While success has been achieved in spades for Tong, the journey to get there has been littered with obstacles and challenges, as he has already stated.
So, knowing what he knows now, is there anything he would have done differently over the years to garner even greater success, which could be of use to budding entrepreneurs trying to make their mark? “I would have gone directly into infrastructure and investments from the onset, but both sectors required knowledge, experience, social capital, and a trial and error period, which from where we started has allowed us to go through these critical stages of business to further appreciate where we are and where we are heading,” he says. Building on his journey, Tong says that one of the most important aspects of both his business and personal makeup is his ability to deal with stress. We’ve seen how stress has the ability to take down the strongest of us, but for Tong, he has become a self-proclaimed “Crisis Management Master”.
Since completing his MBA in 2020, Tong has undergone significant changes, transformation, and personal growth and is currently in pursuit of a PhD to further challenge and expand his knowledge base.
He explains: “I have become immune to the challenges of stress and have made it my norm of living. I thrive under any pressure and have become the Crisis Management Master. In your business, whilst still building, you have to be the go-to guy to deal with pressure and crisis at all times.”The big question now for Tong is what does the future hold and what does his legacy look like, both internally at the InvesTong Group and externally within the African business landscape.
In short, his answer is predominantly about ensuring the success of others, including those closest to him. “I aspire for the InvesTong Group to become an employer of choice. While our business is family-orientated, we have welcomed numerous non-blood relatives into shareholding and decision-making roles, shaping a legacy that transcends familial ties. When family members commit to the success of our enterprise, they not only reap the benefits during prosperous times, but also shoulder the challenges when difficulties arise,” Tong concludes.
“To date, we have been fortunate to experience no major issues stemming from working with our family members. I consider myself truly blessed to have such a remarkable and supportive family. Over time, my sisters have joined the business, leaving behind promising individual careers to help drive the vision of the InvesTong Group, even when the path ahead seemed vague at the time.
“This collaboration has strengthened our familial bonds and fostered a sense of unity within the Tong clan. Through their growth and dedication, my sisters, Isha Mboyisa and Tumi Maboke, have transitioned from executives to directors and now shareholders of the business. From the very beginning, my sisters have been my unwavering supporters, accompanying me through both personal and professional challenges, and never doubting the vision, even during the darkest moments. It is thanks to their steadfast support, and the solidarity of my entire family that I have arrived at this point of success.
“This shared commitment has allowed us to establish systems that will create generational wealth, securing the future for not only ourselves, but also our most valued assets: our employees. We must have created 20 000 jobs across the continent and have empowered and created economical inclusion and eradicated poverty for all our employees for them and the next generations.”
Tong’s View: The Private vs Public Sector
“In the construction industry, working within both the private and public sectors comes with its own set of challenges and advantages. While it’s difficult to generalize, there are certain differences worth noting. “In the private sector, projects are typically driven by profit motives and competition. This can lead to a faster decision-making process and more streamlined project execution. However, there may be challenges in terms of securing funding and dealing with market fluctuations. “On the other hand, the public sector is responsible for infrastructure development and maintenance, which often involves working on large-scale projects. While the decision-making process in the public sector can be slower due to bureaucratic procedures, it offers more stability and a wider range of projects to work on. Additionally, public sector projects often prioritize social and environmental considerations which we are aligned to.”If I could change anything about these sectors, I would strive for better collaboration and communication between both sectors. This would help in streamlining project delivery, ensuring efficient use of resources, and promoting sustainable development.
Ralph Staniforth is the Production Editor of Leadership magazine
